Rail-bond



UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IRVIN B. \VALKER AND LARS G. NILSON, OF SIOUX CITY, IOWA.

RAlL-BOND.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part 0f Letters Patent N0. 572,668, dated December 8, 1896. Application filed September 9 1896. Serial N0. 605,279. (N0 model.)

t0 make and use the same.

Our invention relates particularl y to an improved. form of terminal eontaet 0r eonnecting lug and fastening clevice for rail-bonds.

The objects of 0111 improvements are, first, to procluee a simple, cheap, ancl durable 0011- tact and fastening device that 0a11 be appliecl either to the ordinary long bond, usua.lly xnade up from a wire, 10d, bar, or strip 0f eopper, 01 t0 the dass of short bonds plaeecl between the fish-plates a-11d web 0f the mil; second, t0 provide a eontact-lug With fast-ening device so arranged (hat the WOIk of fastening the same (after the proper hole has been drilled) ean be done entirely from one side of the rail which is to be conneeted. This is a great advantage, 2LS in some ca.ses it would require extra labor 110 get at both sides. These results we attain by constructing the rail-bond with a terminal 012 contact lug the c1oss-section of which is cireular, witl1 a V 01 seetor shaped portion cut out. Into this cut-out portion a V or seetor shaped taperecl wedge 01' key is driven, thus makinga perfeet electri0al and meehanical connection, as will be hereinafter :rriore fully clescribed.

In the aceompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents the cross-section 0f a rail, showing a boncl in position without the sector-shaped. wedge. Fig. 2 is a plan view Wit-h a partial seetion through line 00 y, Fig. 1, showing the wedge driven home, Fig. 3 shows the bondterminal as it appears from the side 01": the mil from whieh the wedge is driven. Y Fig. 4 is a viewfrom the opposite direction. Fig. 5 1's a perspective view 0f the bond-terminal lug and wedge. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 7 is a plan view, 0f 0111 short double bond. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal seetion, and. Fig. 9 is a plan view, 0f another form of short bond.

Similar letters refer t0 simila rparts throughout the several views.

Referring t0 the dra.wings in detail, b rep- 5 5 resents the main portion 0f the bond-wire.

a is a terminal lug which is inserted into h0les made f01' that purpose in the rails, ancl f a shoulder 01 eecentric enlargement situated between the lag a and wire b.

It Will be noticed that the lug a, shoulderf, and adjoining portion of wire b are slightly eeeentric in relation t0 each other. This is f01 the purpose of allowing the sector-shaped. slot e to be cut through 111g a and shoulder f Without clisturbing 01' reducing the mein part 0f the bond b. After lug ahas been inserted in the proper hole in the rail the tapered wedge g is driven into the slot e, exerting such a pressure on the metal of the lug a.s to swell it in every clirection, thus eompletely filling the hole, am]. at the same time causing part of the metal to be forcecl out of the hole on the opposite side and expanding the 111g on that sicle 0f the rail, as is elearly shown in Fig. 2. Tl1e shoulder f also prevents the bond fron1 creeping when the wedge g is driven home.

Figs. 6 and 7 show 0ur improved form 0f sh0rt boncl. a a are the terminal lugs, g g

the wedges, and d d the connecting portion.

VVe prefer to make these conclueting parts d d eurvecl and double, for the reasons, first, to allow for the motion due t0 the expansion and eontraetion 01": the rails; seeond, t0 make it possible to apply two 01 more bonds to the same rail-j oint. This we acoomplish by drilling two 01' more holes near the ends of the rails and. lapping the bonds, so that one 111g of each bond will'be loeated between the two lugs 0f the other.

Figs. 8 and 9 show how our invention may be applied to oue of the eommon forms 0f short bonds.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim-as new, and des ire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A rail bond or eonnection for eleetrieal conduetors consisting of a wire, rod, bar 01 tapered s10t e extending through said lugs,

and a tapered wedge g adapted 110 be driven into said slot e, substantially as deseribed und for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names in the presenee of twq Witnesses.

IRVIN B. VVALKER. LARS G. NILSON.

\Vitnessesz II. O. GARDINER, F. W. LOHR. 

